Hurts Our CommunityHurtsOurCommunity

Tens of thousands of LGBT people die every year in the U.S. from tobacco use. That contributes to the 480,000 total people in the U.S. who are killed by smoking-related disease annually. In fact, smoking kills more people in the U.S. than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, homicide, suicide, illegal drugs, and fires combined. Scroll down for more info about how tobacco hurts our community.

10 Years Too Soon10YearsTooSoon

When someone in our community dies from tobacco use, we lose them too early. That’s because on average, cigarette smokers die at least 10 years younger than non-smokers. How does smoking take a decade of life away? Scroll down to see. ​

Every Smoke CountsEverySmokeCounts

It may not seem like a lot, but smoking a cigarette every now and then can hurt you. Whether you call it occasional or “social” smoking, there are negative effects on your health. On average, every cigarette you smoke reduces your life by 11 minutes. Scroll down to see other risks that are linked to smoking.

Early DiseaseEarlyDisease

Tobacco can bring terrible diseases to our community, and not just when we’re old. In fact, people under age 30 who start smoking in their teens and early twenties can develop smoking-related health problems, including DNA damage that can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body. Scroll to see how cigarettes can hurt you even if you don’t smoke.

Secondhand SmokeSecondhandSmoke

Secondhand smoke contributes to tobacco’s death toll. Every year, more than 40,000 non-smoking adults in the U.S. die from secondhand smoke. So even if you don’t smoke cigarettes, spending time around people who are smoking could put you at risk. Keep scrolling for more.​

Live For Our CommunityLiveForOurCommunity

We strive to keep our community moving forward, but tobacco use is holding us back. The death and disease it causes blocks our progress. Let’s keep fighting for the health of our community by living tobacco-free.​

Threatens Our FreedomThreatensOurFreedom

Smoking cigarettes threatens our freedom. It may not seem like a lot, but even that occasional cigarette while going out once or twice a week can lead to daily use. Scroll down to see the ways that smoking can take away your freedom.​

Addiction AwaitsAddictionAwaits

Many of us underestimate how addictive cigarettes are. You don’t have to be a daily smoker to get addicted to nicotine. Even smoking occasionally can open the door to becoming a daily smoker and addiction to nicotine. Keep scrolling to find out why.

Brain Take OverBrainTakeOver

Nicotine, a highly addictive drug, can change the way your brain works, causing you to crave more and more nicotine. These powerful cravings can make it hard to think about anything else. Worse, the earlier you start smoking, the more likely you are to get addicted. Scroll down to see how the very design of cigarettes makes you more likely to get hooked.​

Designed to Trap UsDesignedtoTrapUs

Cigarettes are designed for addiction. Cigarettes of today deliver nicotine more quickly from the lungs to the brain. This makes them more addictive than ever. Scroll down to see an unexpected way that getting trapped by tobacco hurts you.​

Smoking is ExpensiveSmokingisExpensive

Smoking can do some serious damage to your wallet. Smoking a half a pack per day costs $1,000 per year on average. Yes, one thousand dollars. That’s money you could be using to live your life. Keep scrolling.​

Life Worth LivingLifeWorthLiving

Living tobacco-free means saying no to cigarettes. Even puffing a cigarette while you’re at a party once or twice a week can have negative effects on your health. Losing your freedom to cigarettes just isn’t worth it. Celebrate living tobacco-free with This Free Life.​

Ruins Our AppearanceRuinsOurAppearance

Blasted BreathBlastedBreath

When you’re about to make that first impression on someone, you don’t want your breath to be heated. Smoking cigarettes can make your breath smell like an ashtray. Yes, even just a few puffs can trash your breath. Scroll down to see another way cigs can ruin your mouth. ​

Busted SmileBustedSmile

Smoking cigarettes can also stain your teeth, which may make you want to dial down that smile. It even causes gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss. Sorry, but there are more ways cigs affect your looks.​

Assault on Your SkinAssaultonYourSkin

Smoking can also mess with that flawless skin of yours. Smoking cigarettes accelerates skin aging and can lead to early wrinkles and grayish facial skin. Keep scrolling for yet another way tobacco can wreck your style.​

Stay FabulousStayFabulous

Exposes Our Bodies To Toxic ChemicalsExposesOurBodiesToToxicChemicals

Cigarette smoke can expose your body to 7,000+ chemicals, including more than 70 that can cause cancer. The chemicals in cigarette smoke reach your lungs quickly every time you inhale. Your blood then carries these toxic chemicals to every organ in your body, wreaking havoc now and later. Scroll down to see some of the chemicals you probably didn’t know were in cigarette smoke.​

Carbon MonoxideCarbonMonoxide

What does your ride have in common with cigarettes? Carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust. This chemical can be up to 10 times more concentrated in cigarette smoke than what’s coming out your tailpipe. Keep scrolling for info on another chemical in cig smoke that is used for some pretty grim purposes. ​

FormaldehydeFormaldehyde

This chemical is pretty morbid. One of the cancer-causing agents found in cigarette smoke is formaldehyde, which is also used to embalm dead bodies. Scroll down for a more common, but still disturbing, chemical found in cig smoke.​

AmmoniaAmmonia

Those potent products that keep your place looking clean have something in common with tobacco smoke. Ammonia, a chemical found in household cleaning products, is also in cigarette smoke. Keep scrolling for a chemical that has been banned in other products.​

ChromiumChromium

Wrecks Our HealthWrecksOurHealth

Our community continues to face serious health concerns, but tobacco brings additional unnecessary death and disease by hurting our bodies in so many ways. Scroll down for some of the negative health effects of smoking.​

DeathDeath

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. In fact, nearly 1 in every 5 deaths in the U.S. is caused by smoking. In our community alone, tens of thousands of LGBT people die every year in the U.S. from tobacco use. If nobody smoked cigs, 1 out of 3 cancer deaths in the U.S. could be prevented. That’s a crazy amount of unnecessary pain and suffering. Scroll for more about health problems caused by tobacco.

No Safe TobaccoNoSafeTobacco

Cigarettes aren’t the only kind of tobacco product that can do you damage. Other tobacco products like hookah, cigars, and cigarillos are also harmful to your health. Tobacco products, no matter their shape or size can lead to nicotine addiction and expose you to cancer-causing chemicals. Click each box below to see how these tobacco products can harm you.

Be Healthy Live Tobacco FreeBeHealthyLiveTobaccoFree

Now that you know how smoking can destroy your health, it’s time to either start living tobacco-free or recommit to a tobacco-free lifestyle. You deserve it. And our community will be stronger the more people live tobacco-free. If you are looking to stop smoking, check out some advice to do it successfully.​